Obstetrical appliance.



- No. 000,071, PATENTED SEPT. 19, 1905.

R. H.0HBATHAM.

OBSTETRIGAL APPLIANCE. .APPLIO ATION FILED FEB. 24. 1905.

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'PATENTE'D SEPT. 19, 1905.

No.'80o,071.

-R. H.-QHEATHAM OBSTB'TRIGAL APPLIANCE.

' APPLICATION FILED 113.24, 1905.

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' Ell manic: 7 E, Owed/am I Witueoow v v WA RICHARD H. OHEATHAM, OF VERMONT, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN WILLIAM D. MAYES AND RICHARD 'DEYO DUGAN,

ILLINOIS.

OF ILLIOPOLIS,

OBST ETRICAL APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 19, 1905.

Application filed February 24., 1905. Serial No. 247,150.

To all whom) it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD H. CHEATHAM,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Vermont, in the county of Fulton and State of Illinois, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Obstetrical Appliances, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in obstetrical appliances, more especially for use for women in labor or confinement, as in child-bearing.

' said invention for practical use.

It has for its object to render assistance,

facilitate the operation of delivery, and lessen.

labor attendingchild-bearing and to effect these ends in a simple, economical, and effective manner.

Said invention consists of the structural details substantially as hereinafter fully disclosed, and particularlypointed out by the claims.v

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention,

Figure 1 is a view showing the application of Fig. 2 is a view of the same unapplied. FigY S is a broken-away enlarged view showing more fully the structural details of a knee bearing or cap. Fig.4 is a longitudinal section produced through the back-strap and its adjunctive parts.

In the practice of my invention I .employ what may be very appropriately termed a harness, consisting principally of a backstrap 1, knee hearings or caps 2, stirrups 3, and handholds 4:, having in View the support of What may be styled the four cardinal parts of the physical frame or structure, as is apparent. Said back-strap 1, preferably of two thicknesses or strap members 1", suitably sewed together, one flat upon the other, has also properly sewed thereto upon its inner surface a housing-like member 1. Gentrally upon the inner surface of the latter is provided a protuberance or prominence in the form of a pad 1, also sewed to said housing member, to exert direct pressure over the lumbar vertebrae, which when the contrivance is applied as in practical use has the effect to greatly modify the severity of pain so troublesome under the circumstances in question, or confinement. Said housing member is itself padded with any suitable substance, being composed, preferably, of two principal portions or pieces of soft leather 'of said strap to the latter.

1 1 which, with the interposed stuffing or padding at about the longitudinal center thereof, are held compactly together, preferably by means of the same stitches formed in sewing thereto the back-strap 1. Said leather pieces, with the interposed filling, are suitably held or sewed together along their marginal portions or edges, together with a practically continuous binding-piece l suitably coveri-ng or overlaying said edges, adding the requisite finish thereto. The knee bearings or caps 2 are also of peculiar construction and application, each comprising a practically oblong or other suitably-shaped member, itself preferably in centrally or longitudinally connected or sewed together sections 2, with said sections stiffened along or at opposite sides of the seam, thus formed in any suitable way known to leather-workers toprovide the cap' orbearing with a normally bulging or dished contour for the ready application thereof for use and the continuous retention of said contour or set of the leather even when not in practical use, the advantages of which are obvious. Said bearings or caps as such are otherwise constructed ducing the back-strap housing member. Suitably sewed or connected to the outer surface of each cap or hearing adjacently to its marginal portions or edges, preferably as disclosed in the drawings, are branch portions or arms 2 of a split strap 2 aiding to retain the set of the cap or bearing, as is obvious, as Well as to provide for the fastening The straps 2 of said caps are suitably connected or buckled, as at 1, to the back-strap 1 near its end portions and are thus adapted to be readily adjusted or shortened up'and lengthened, as circumstances may require. To the outer surface of each cap or bearing 2 at one end is secured a separate or additional strap or kind of thong 2 with a plurality of buckle-tonguereceiving openings or holes for a purpose I which will presently appear.

The stirrups 3 are preferably of the construction shown," each providing a suitable or the straps 2 of the knee caps or bearings 2, the adjustability of the connection between said straps 3 and 2 permitting, as is apparent, the lengthening out or shortening up thereof for accommodating the appliance to the length of the patient.

The handholds 4 are preferably formed of suitably-produced strap members 4, adapted to be conveniently engaged or grasped by the hands, and of additional straps 4 with the prongs or branches of the split end portions ll thereof passed through openings or slits in the aforesaid straps near their ends and lapped together and upon the latter and sewed or secured together and to said latter straps. The straps 4 are adapted to slide and are guided through loops or upraised portions 5 of narrow straps 5, sewed or secured to the knee caps orbearings 2 transversely and about centrally thereof and upon their outer surfaces, as shown. Said straps t also slide and are guided through additional loops 6, also secured or sewed upon said knee caps or bearings near their normally lower or outer ends, in the present instance said loops being held under the secured ends of the straps 2 by the same stitching eflecting the securing of the latter straps to said knee caps or bearings. Thehandhold-straps 4: preferably lie flat upon the knee-cap straps 2, and each two of these straps, of which, of course, there are four, passes through a common loop 3, secured to each strap 3 of the stirrups, said straps 4Q being adapted to be buckled up in common with said knee-cap straps, and therefore adjustably to said stirrup-straps 3 by the same buckles 3 effecting connection between said stirrupstraps and said knee-cap straps. By this arrangement it will be noted that by applying force to the handholds 4:, as is presumably done by the patient or user, the straps 4 will, as above intimated, slide through the loops 5 6 of the knee caps or bearings, the latter, as indicated, receiving or forming bearings for the knees of the patient, and therefore relatively fixed to in position. The stirrups 3 will through the resistance or pressure exerted thereon by the feet of the patient draw or exert pressure upon the back-strap and the housing member carried thereby with its pad, consequently exerting a helpful action upon that portion or region of the patients body needing such assistance, as above noted. With the exerting by the feet of the patient of the aforesaid pressure upon the patients i body or back it will be observed that intermediarily thereof the knee hearings or caps serve as fulcrums for the levers formed by the handholds and their stirrup-eontrolling straps, whereby direct leverage will be exerted from the feet and the same be applied uniformly to the body of the patient.

Latitude is allowed as to details herein, since they may be changed as eircun'istances suggest without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim 1. An obstetrical appliance, comprising dished knee-caps having connected thereto at their rear ends straps, a back-strap connected to the aforesaid straps and having a housing, and a pad, stirrups connected to said kneecaps, handholds having their strap connec tions with said stirrups, guided upon said knee-caps, said knee-caps having lixed thereto transverse straps having upstanding loopforming portions through which pass said strap connections, whereby continuous connection is effected between the handholds, the knee-caps and the stirrups.

2. An obstetrical appliance comprising dished knee-caps, having longitudinal stiltened portions, stirrups connected to said kneecaps and a back-strap for said knee-caps, handholds, with their stirrup-connecting straps guided upon said knee-caps, said knee-caps having secured to their outer surfaces transverse straps with central upraised loop-forming portions through which pass said handheld stirrup-connecting straps.

3. An obstetrical appliance, consisting of knee caps or bearings, having iixed thereto at one end straps, a back-strap with its adjunctive housing member and pad, said back-strap being connected to the aforesaid straps, stirrups having straps connected to opposite end straps of said knee-caps, and handholds having straps extending through guides secured to said caps, upon their outer surfaces, and lying upon the same straps of said knee-caps to which are connected the stirrup-straps, and also buckled to said stirrup-straps and said knee-cap straps.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD H. (illl L Vlll IAM.

Witnesses:

G. M. Munonn, O. H. HAMILTON. 

